The CEO Playbook for Leadership
Leading is more art than science.
There is no one right way, but lots of ways that don’t hit the mark, and many that do.
To the leader who might need to hear this today:
You're not being dramatic.
You're not out of options.
And you're NOT alone.
To change the results,
To change productivity,
To change collaboration,
To change output,
To change others,
You are the solution.
Too often you think it's "them" who need to change. The change you seek is within you, not them.
Managing your team is the most challenging aspect of scaling your business, but it’s the very thing that will create the capacity to lead with more impact to grow your business.
Get out of the mindset drama and get into creating your playbook for leading with more impact. I'm sharing a snapshot of what's inside my program to help you see a proven framework that will also build your CEO Self-Concept.
The CEO Playbook
Share your User Manual and guiding principles regularly and on repeat. Intentionally calendaring it with the what, when, and how.
Hire the best people with a detailed Job Description including expectations and measurements for success. Give them an onboarding that sets them up for success.
Hire before you are fully ready to hire and fire quickly.
Set a regular weekly cadence for team meetings and 1:1s. There are four reasons to have a meeting: do, decide, educate, and connect.
Always have a meeting agenda posted in the invite. Because you are busy working ON the business, empower a team member to take the lead, create the agenda and own leading the meeting.
Give feedback – both good and bad - when it’s fresh. Don’t wait for performance reviews or when it is too late and resentment sets in. For every negative piece of feedback, give three positives.
Recognition for good work is what creates connection, trust, and engagement. So, give it often and for the little things.
Extend trust first and ask your team to have your back as you have theirs.
Focus on outcomes and not output. It doesn’t matter how many hours they work if their work product is below expectations and vice versa.
Knowing how to do a job or project is not the same as understanding it. Confirm your team knows how to do the job and that they understand why along with the risks and potential challenges.
Leading is not telling. Empower your people to be resourceful and become a source of solutions. They will never learn on their own they know you will give them the answers.
The three most powerful words in managing: Help me understand. Asking has them take responsibility and brings more understanding.
The three other most powerful words: What can I count on you for? Ask for a commitment and manage them to it.
Difficult or energetic conversations are a fact of managing. Sharing what you are seeing/experiencing. Share what’s at risk because of it. Ask for their thoughts. Decide what needs to be aligned to move forward. Then ask for their commitment. Set a time period to check back in.
A team is strongest when it’s working together, looking after one another, and taking care of each other. Make sure your team knows they can ask each other and you for help.
People want to be led. People want to feel safe in their job. People want to be inspired.
To get you started, here's a thought prompt to get you focused for the week ahead:
The most important way I will lead the business this week is by...
And that’s because…
If you want to move beyond frustration, disappointment, and exhaustion to get back to work that feels good, it’s on you.
Begin by writing your CEO Playbook.
Start role modeling behavior and setting expectations.
Get support.
Writing your CEO Playbook will bring more intention to your day, to your people, and to creating a thriving culture built on the example you set.
You don’t have to do it alone. Leading with Impact is a component of my Coaching program that has leaders building their businesses with more joy and ease.
Leaders, founders, and CEOs in the program get clear on their goals, and how they want to show up with a framework for setting up repeatable practices.
Let’s have a conversation and we'll begin to tackle the hard stuff together, I promise.
If you are considering working with a Coach or want to know more about the components of a Coaching engagement, let’s get on a call with this link.One client says....
"Being a founder can sometimes be the loneliest job in the whole world. There are days filled with self-doubt, angst, hurdles, fires, and tears. Other days are filled with laughter, triumph, and success. As a founder, the goal is to string as many great days together as possible and not waste time trying to put out fires. Christina helps quiet the negative voices and empowers the dreamer within to take the stage that you deserve and to reach your fullest potential."
